Most document problems are cheap to fix at the ramp and expensive to fix at the border. A five-minute check before loading ends is worth more than an hour of phone calls from the motorway.
ADR: the transport document
For dangerous goods the ADR transport document is not a formality, it is the legal description of the load. Check that it contains:
- the UN number, preceded by the letters UN;
- the proper shipping name;
- the hazard class, and the packing group where one is assigned;
- the number and description of packages, and the total quantity;
- the name and address of the consignor and the consignee;
- the tunnel restriction code where the route requires it.
If any of those lines is blank, the document is not ready. The person who filled it in is usually still at the ramp — that is the moment to ask.
Orange plates and the vehicle
The orange plates at the front and rear must match the load, and the ADR certificate of approval for the vehicle must cover the classes you are carrying. For some loads you also need the instructions in writing in the cab, in a language the driver understands.
Not legal advice. ADR has exemptions, special provisions and class-specific rules. Check the current ADR text and your company's dangerous goods adviser before you accept a load you are not sure about.
CMR: the consignment note
The CMR note is the contract of carriage. It normally comes in three originals: one for the sender, one for the carrier, one for the consignee. At the ramp, compare the note with what is actually on the truck:
- place and date of taking over the goods;
- place of delivery and the consignee;
- description of the goods, number of packages and gross weight;
- any reservation about visible damage or short loading.
A reservation written at loading is a normal, professional note. The same sentence written at delivery is a claim.
Photograph what you sign
A photo of the signed CMR, the ADR document and the seal takes ten seconds and settles most arguments later. Keep them with the shift, not in a chat with yourself: when a claim arrives three weeks later, the date and the load number matter.
Where the app fits
Truck Driver keeps ADR hazard classes 1–9 with illustrations, loading-securement guidance and a ready CMR template, so the paperwork reference travels with the shift. Photos and notes stay attached to the archived shift for 24 months.
Truck Driver is a driver assistance tool, not a tachograph, not a legal reference and not a replacement for the documents required by law.